"I have no idea who these people are. But I can tell you one thing—these people are richer than God."

I've got to hand it to Kevin Kwan. He just comes along and writes a satire of Asian culture that is so sharp and so searing as to be both funny and honest.

When I first picked up this book, I thought I was going to be reading a zany romantic comedy. But instead of your typical middle-class white people as the main characters, we get two Asians, one of whom comes from an extremely wealthy though misbehaving family. And I would've been happy with that story. It's rare for romantic comedies to feature ethnic Chinese main characters, so to even get that kind of representation made me really excited. But this turned out to be so much more than that.

Reading this book felt like I was stepping back into a culture I knew intimately. There is so much authenticity embedded in every page that I was discovering nostalgic gems everywhere. And the thing is, when you've gotten used to reading books that don't represent you or where you come from, when you do come across the rare book that does, it can be a bit shocking. Like, wow, this is how it feels to be seen and understood within the pages of a book.

I marveled at how Kwan was able to peel back the layers and keenly sketch out all the characteristics of growing up Chinese, including the enormous pressure to succeed along the narrowest of definitions, the expectation to bow to familial demands, and the emphasis on face and appearance. The juxtaposition of Nick and Rachel and the way they approach their families really highlights the difference between the East and the West, and how hard it can be for the two sides to understand each other.

And through it all, Kwan injected so much fun and humor into this. For me, one of the hallmarks of a good satire is that it's able to take raw or tender subjects and turn them into laughable events, all the while honestly examining the beauty and ugliness within. The strife and the feelings in here are all too real, but they made me laugh instead of despair. Satire is always grounded in truth, and can evoke such strong feelings when done right, delighting us in the absurdity of human folly while connecting us with each other.

Even though at first glance, the opulent wealth and outrageous antics in this book seem to play the central role, that is really the vehicle with which Kwan uses to turn this story into a satire. If you peel that away, what's underneath is a startling astute exploration of familial relationships within Chinese culture.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

I haven't met a multiverse story I didn't like, until now.

Conceptually, The Space Between Worlds has a lot of potential. In this version of parallel universes, you can only travel to a different one if your counterpart is already dead. Enter Cara, who has died in most other worlds, so she's able to travel between them. Yep, I can totally get behind that. But that was pretty much it for things I enjoyed, and it was only a very small part of the story.

Where this book fell apart for me is in almost everything else.

To start with, this story is extremely hard to follow. I'm honestly baffled because the concept of a parallel universe isn't that difficult to grasp; it's just like our universe but with a few minor changes. And yet, the worldbuilding here is maximumly awkward and lumbering, turning small differences into obscure and confusing concepts that were never fully explained.

Information is just dumped on the reader without any consideration for whether it's necessary or relevant. Pages upon pages are spent on completely irrelevant worlds we won't visit again or people we don't need to know (most of whom have multiple names in each universe). But when we get to crucial information (what is a runner?), no explanation is given, so I never got a solid grasp of these worlds.

And it's not just the worldbuilding, but the writing as a whole. It feels fragmented and random. Sentences, paragraphs, and scenes don't logically follow from previous ones. Even dialogues don't really make sense. It's as if the author had written monologues for each speaker, then just interweaved their lines together and called it a conversation.

There was supposed to be a queer love story in here, but that baffled me too. Like, where is it? If Cara didn't explicitly tell the reader that she's in love with Dell and constantly state that she's flirting with her, I wouldn't have guessed from her words or their interactions.

I also couldn't connect with any of the characters. Their motivations, feelings, and actions all remain a mystery to me. In particular, Cara's simultaneous blend of cynically detached while also angsty philosophical narrative tone did not work for me, and came across as very naïve and immature. Also, what kind of names are Nik Nik and Mr. Cheeks? I kept thinking I'm reading about a toddler and his pet instead of an emperor and his runner.

Still, all that can be overlooked if the plot made sense. But it doesn't. It feels like there are multiple separate stories in here instead of one coherent one. And they were all just mashed up together in the most convoluted and haphazard way possible.

What a waste. Conceptually, this is a good one. But the execution is so confusing as to be almost incomprehensible. Nothing in here made sense to me. Not the writing, nor the story, nor the characters, nor the worldbuilding. What a complete disappointment this turned out to be.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

Someone's getting cozy-murdered during the most festive time of the year? Yes, sign me up! That should put me right in the holiday spirit.

Wizened patriarch Simeon Lee wants his family around him for Christmas. So he puts out the call, and his children all answer, coming from far and wide to gather for the holidays. But when he's brutally murdered, no one seems that upset. In fact, they all appear somewhat relieved to be rid of the old man and his tyrannical ways. But who among them actually did the deed? Well, Hercule Poirot will find out.

What a perfectly plotted locked-room mystery this turned out to be. Just about every time I read Agatha Christie, I stand in awe of her genius, and this time it's no different. This has all of her hallmarks: a small cast of characters, clues and red herrings galore, and a reveal that is sure to surprise the pants off any reader.

Speaking of the reveal, I didn't see it coming. And that's what I love about Agatha Christie. Until the actual moment when Poirot gathers everyone together and unveils his hand, I had no idea what was going on. Of course the clues were all there. And on top of which, I've read this book before, although the last time was a decade ago. Obviously, I haven't become a better armchair detective in the meantime.

Every time I pick up an Agatha Christie, I'm just filled with glee and anticipation. I know only goodness awaits me. Add in the festive atmosphere, and this one hits all the right notes for the perfect holiday whodunnit.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

No one does naughty & nice quite like Tessa Bailey. So when I saw she had a holiday romance coming out, I couldn't resist. I picked it up a few weeks ago, but I've exercised enormous restraint and held off reading it until just the right moment before Christmas for maximum festive effect. And that moment is finally here!

When Stella stops outside the windows of Vivant department store and scoffs out loud at their pathetic holiday display, she catches the attention of their charming general manager Aiden. He challenges her for better ideas, then offers her a job as their window displayer. Of course Stella jumps at the chance to prove herself. And the fact that her boss is a hottie? Well, that didn't factor into her excitement at all.

There is so much goodness in this story. For one, Stella just got out of prison and she's desperate for a clean start. In steps Aiden, who believes in her when no one else would give her a chance. This really struck a chord in me. As a society, we don't give ex-convicts enough of a second chance. They often cannot find jobs, and without a way to earn an honest living, many recidivate. So to see Bailey touch upon such an important topic in a lighthearted story centered around the season of generosity and goodwill is both surprising and heartwarming.

I loved Aiden's character. His cheerful soul is the perfect foil for Stella's weariness and pessimism. It was wonderful to follow along as she gains confidence in her job and their relationship grows. The story takes place in a post-pandemic world, which is a lovely escape from our real one. It also completely captures the spirit of the holidays, with its storyline of department stores and decorating for the holidays.

Whenever Tessa Bailey comes up, I feel like I always have to make a mention of the steam factor in her books. They are HOT, perhaps shockingly so if you've never read her, so reader beware. She definitely doesn't hold back when it comes to those scenes, which are a bit incongruous with her cute and innocent book covers.

This isn't some serious love story for the ages or anything. It's pure unadulterated fun, with heaping doses of feelgood and raunchy. Add in the themes of finding oneself and getting a second chance, along with loads of Christmas cheer, and this is just about the perfect holiday read for me.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Even though A Flicker in the Dark has an interesting premise, its reliance on the confused and drugged-up female narrator trope prevented this story from being as great as it could've been.

Chloe Davis has lived in the shadow of fear for a long time. When she was twelve years ago, six teenage girls disappeared in town, one right after another. The nightmare finally ended when her own father confessed to the killings, upending her childhood and leaving her family in ruins. Now twenty years later, girls are going missing again. And Chloe can't help but feel there is a link between what's happening now and what happened so long ago.

I've read plenty of serial killer stories from the perspective of investigators, the victims and their families, and regular townspeople, but I'm not sure I've ever read one from the killer's own daughter. And coming at it from that angle makes this story feel fresh and unusual. Chloe still suffers from the fallout of her childhood, and her narrative envelopes the whole story in her dark and foreboding mood.

Where this didn't quite work as well for me is the pacing. It's very slow, with hardly anything happening in the first 250 pages. Instead, we spend a lot of time in Chloe's head as she ruminates, freaks out, consumes copious quantities of alcohol and prescription drugs, sticks her nose where it doesn't belong, and in general, just bumbles around being confused and paranoid. To be fair, this is a pretty common trope for the genre, but it just isn't my favorite as I find it to be pretty dull and a bit exasperating.

Clearly, this is the sort of psychological thriller that leans heavily towards the psychological side, whereas I like mine to be more on the thriller side. I always enjoy a more active investigation instead of a more active rumination. However, that's just a personal preference. I think a lot of what I found to be slow is what a lot of readers find fascinating, so your experiences may be the opposite of mine.

The pacing does finally pick up in the last 100 pages, and we are treated to one revelation after another. I wouldn't necessarily say any of it is surprising (I've read too many thrillers at this point), but it is exciting. The way everything comes together is really the highlight of the book, and made this a worthwhile read for me.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This was my Book of the Month pick for December. If you're curious about BOTM or want to find out how to get your first book for $5, click here.

No One Will Miss Her has been getting rave reviews from everyone I know, so I went into it with high expectations. Too high, as it turns out, because it pretty much underwhelmed from beginning to end.

First of all, this is a relatively thin story. There isn't a lot of substance in here, and it's very much predicated on its one twist. The problem is that I figured it out almost from the very beginning. It's something I've seen done in a few books already, so it's quite obvious. And once I saw it, there just wasn't much else interesting in here.

Now, I know reading thrillers like this require suspension of disbelief. But this book took it pretty far, such that it's not only improbable, but also actually impossible. I mean, this isn't science fiction, so my suspension of disbelief can only stretch so far. It's hard to remain in the story when I'm laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Another issue is that this style of domestic thriller isn't my favorite. We spend a lot of time in the characters' heads while they ruminate about who they are as people, what others think of them, and how great/not great they are. There's nothing wrong with that per se, but I find it fairly dull and my eyes glaze over quickly if there are paragraphs upon paragraphs of that stuff.

Also, this book has what seems to be the largest amount of wrap-up to actual story I've ever come across. More than 100 pages of this book is wrapping up, which is just ridiculous on a 280 page story. At some point, I'm thinking to myself, Is this really it? Surely something else will happen. But no, that was all it was.

Gosh, that all sounds super negative, but it wasn't that bad. I was mostly indifferent to this story. Obviously, you should take my review with a grain of salt. So many other readers loved this and the twist made their jaws drop and their heads spin. But my jaw and head remained firmly in place, and no one's sadder than me. So my search continues for a mystery thriller that will actually thrill me.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

The dialogue and action were so shrouded in euphemism, so opaque in meaning and intention, alternatively dull and worrisome, that no one could decide what the play was about, if they understood it, let alone enjoyed it.

I can't help but think Colson Whitehead was talking about this very book when he wrote that prescient line into it.

Harlem Shuffle is a set of three loosely-related stories about furniture salesman and reluctant crook Ray Carney. He wants to lead an honest life, but that's not easy as a Black man in 1960s Harlem. So due to necessity and unfortunate circumstances, he keeps getting pulled into dodgy business.

The book blurb promises heists, and I'm immediately thinking of well-planned and well-executed ones à la Ocean's Eleven. But what I got instead were hijinks. Carney and his friends, through schemes and poor-decision making, would cause the sort of trouble that Carney can then only straighten out via crooked ways. Now that sounds interesting enough, but for some reason, it didn't feel compelling when I was actually reading it. Perhaps I'm just not the right audience for this type of gangster noir.

However, an even bigger problem is that the writing style didn't work for me. Instead of leading with contextual information, Whitehead often dropped the reader right into random thoughts or new characters—of which there were many—without explanation. Then after many paragraphs of incomprehensible blather, he finally provides context, at which point the reader would be forced to go back and reread it all again in order to gain understanding. In this way, I read numerous portions of this book many times.

The writing also has a tendency to be unfocused. Even the most straightforward of scenes would stretch to fill many pages, stuffed full of irrelevant musings, asides, and tangents. Those musings often involved characters we don't know or context we don't have, which adds to the confusion. And by the time I've come out of it, not only did I not understand, but I've forgotten where I am in the original scene.

I'm sure there is an interesting story in here somewhere, but my patience was stretched to the limits trying to find it. The third part (the last 100 pages) did finally feel closer to what I expected from the author, as if that was the story he had meant to write all along, but on realizing he was 200 pages short, fluffed out the rest and that's what we got.

This was a pretty disappointing read for me, especially from an author of Colson Whitehead's caliber. If you prefer your stories to be maximumly tedious and difficult to follow, then I recommend this book. For everyone else, I'd say stay away.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

A beach read with a murder mystery that is as interesting as any whodunnit I've ever read? Yes to all of it, please!

On the morning of Celeste Otis's extravagant Nantucket wedding to wealthy heir Benji Winbury, she wakes to find her maid of honor floating dead in the water. As the investigation heats up and the police look carefully over every member of the wedding party, shocking secrets are slowly revealed. It seems everyone has something to hide.

I've noticed lately that there have been an abundance of books labeled beach reads without actually taking place on a beach or in a beach town. Maybe I'm being old fashioned, but that's not what a beach read is. Thankfully, there is no such false advertising here. The setting for this book should quench any desire for an escape to a sun-drenched paradise where everyone is rich but the secrets are just as sinful.

The narrative alternates between the present-day investigation and the events leading up to it. I thought the style worked particularly well for this story. Even though there is a back and forth in the timeline and among various characters, I never felt my attention waver. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and found the whole thing utterly unputdownable.

The murder mystery has all the hallmarks of a whodunnit: a small cast of characters, red herrings galore, and delicious twists and turns everywhere. As a seasoned mystery reader, I was particularly impressed that the ending managed to surprise me.

It's pretty rare for me to find the perfect beach read that also happens to be a clever whodunnit. While Elin Hilderbrand is a queen of the former, I don't believe she writes very many mysteries. I hope that changes soon.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

If the world wasn't filled with so many incompetent people, Teddy would have so much more time to concentrate on the important things. Like teaching.

Teddy Crutcher has just been awarded Teacher of the Year, and it is well-deserved. He always challenges his students to be the best they can be, even if he has to resort to unconventional methods. After all, isn't that why these students pay so much money to go to Belmont Academy?

Right off the bat, this felt like a compulsive read. It was easy to get sucked into the story and to keep turning the pages. With its short chapters, I felt like I could always read just a few more pages, and the outrageous happenings kept me constantly guessing and surprised.

However, this is definitely a book that prioritizes its shock factor above everything else. In particular, the characters are very thinly-sketched, with everyone being some form of crazy, but that is their only real personality trait. As a result, they don't feel fully formed, and I had trouble caring about them. Their crazy actions started to feel random, as if you could swap them between characters and still have the story make the same amount of sense.

Reading this genre can sometimes feel like you're witnessing a race in which books compete to outdo one another in the sheer insanity of their characters and happenings. And because we've seen it all by this point, books have to be ever more outrageous to shock us. And this book definitely deserves to be at the top of that pile.

It's a good one to pick up if you're in the mood for a diversion, and I certainly had fun with it. But with its shallow characterizations and fairly superficial storylines, everything is already starting to blur together only hours after finishing it.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

I'd like to think I'm a rational being, but I also know that I'm prone to sporadic fits of irrationality, just like everyone else out there. So I when I came across this book, I knew I had to read it. I was hoping it would give me insight into myself, and also help me understand why it seems like a large portion of our population have lately given in to the irrational devils of our nature.

And this book did offer insight. In particular, the first and second to last chapters were riveting, approaching the discussion from psychological and sociological perspectives. The examples on how people end up making less than optimal choices are intriguing, and this book offers the most intuitive explanation of the Monty Hall problem I've ever come across. And the concluding discussion on personal knowledge being divided into two different zones, real and mythological, is absolutely fascinating as well as illuminating.

But that isn't the majority of this book. Rather, the focus of this book is how to use probability and statistics to understand numerical implications of different choices, including how to calculate their actual probabilities. I have nothing against the topics, but that isn't what I thought I signed up to read when I opened this book.

Because the topics covered are so technical, the majority of this book reads like a textbook. It doesn't help that they are often presented in a heavily pedantic style, with lots of terms and formulas, as well as philosophical musings. In fact, there is enough content in here to cover multiple university classes (I know because I had the joy of taking these exact ones back in college), so you can imagine trying to fit them into 300 pages makes the whole thing dense and dry.

When a book is so technical, it gets into a bit of a dilemma with its target audience. If you already know most of the topics covered, then you should have no trouble following along, but in that case, why are you reading this book? On the other hand, if you haven't seen the topics before and this is your first introduction, I think you'll have a lot of trouble understanding and retaining the information, especially as the later chapters build on concepts from the earlier ones.

Don't get me wrong, this is an interesting book, but I think it requires the reader to go in with the right expectations. The misleading title will have you think it's a psychological deep dive into rationality, but it isn't that. This is really a book on probability and statistics, and how to use them to make sense of our world. With that mindset, this book could offer a lot to the right audience.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

What is the purpose of fiction? Could it be to pull the wool over our eyes so completely that we forget we are reading something made up and totally false?

Chasing the Boogeyman is a fictional account of the brutal killings that took place in the author's hometown of Edgewood during the late 1980s. Teenage girls would first go missing and then turn up mutilated and posed. Before long, the town is in a frenzy of fear and suspicion. While the police work feverishly to catch the serial killer, Richard Chizmar is drawn to the case and his firsthand account eventually becomes the book we're reading.

Yes, you read that correctly. The author wrote himself into a fictional story. I've only encountered that ploy in one other book series before, and I'm a big fan. It creates a feeling of authenticity that, along with the true crime narrative style used here, makes it hard to dispute or look away from. There are even crime scene photos included with every chapter, which further adds to the real and chilling atmosphere.

Needless to say, I found the whole thing to be absolutely riveting. I got through it in two days—but only because I started late the first day and had to take a break to sleep—and I was so into the story, I ended up with insomnia.

One thing to note: while I inhaled practically the whole book, I did almost abandon it in the beginning because I found the opening to be really dry. This was especially the case with "Chapter One: The Town," which provides a detailed history of the town going back to colonial days and also includes random tidbits from the author's childhood, such as his house, favorite hangout spots, and even how many cracks are in certain sidewalks. I know what the author was trying to do here, but it was all irrelevant and almost did me in.

However, I'm so glad I didn't give up on this book. It turned out to be well worth the effort of the first thirty-five pages. If you're giving this a try, I'm not above suggesting you skim liberally or even skip straight to Chapter Two if you're feeling bogged down with the earlier pages; you won't miss anything.

This is one of the those books where the story is just as important as the format, and both worked together to create that perfect narrative. The blurring of the lines between what is real and what is fiction happens frequently and enthusiastically here. If the goal of fiction is to immerse the reader into a tale so bold and true as to feel authentic, then surely this must be the perfect tale.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

You got me. Not only do I judge a book by its cover, but I also judge its title too. So when I saw An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, I knew there's no way I could pass it up.

Maud is 88 years old and as spry and sharp as she's ever been. With no family or friends, she has to rely on herself to solve any problems that come up. But sometimes problems have a way of being unsolvable, unless you don't mind a little murder. And Maud certainly doesn't.

This book is a hoot and a half. With its tongue in cheek candor and unflinching directness, it portrays Maud going about murder as one would go about one's business. I have to say, this is such a refreshing change from all those serious murder mysteries trying to catch the criminal. I found myself cheering Maud on and hoping she doesn't get caught.

Obviously, this book doesn't take itself too seriously, and the reader shouldn't either. If you're able to suspend disbelief for a little while, this pocket-sized book should bring you a quick dose of joviality and delight. And now there's a second book, so I can't wait to see what else Maud is up to.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

"We all have a limit. What we're willing to put up with before we break."

When was the last time a book just completely slayed me, cutting me so deep and evoking such strong emotions? It feels like my heart has been filled, then broken, filled, then broken. In the end, I'm stunned by what I read.

It Ends with Us starts out innocently enough. We follow the courtship of Lily and Ryle. He is handsome, successful, and so thoroughly smitten by Lily he can barely think. He makes advances while claiming he doesn't do relationships. She rebuffs him while secretly pining for him. Really, it's all fun and a bit frivolous, your standard romance.

But then we arrive at the core of this story, which I won't spoil because it's best to read it from Colleen Hoover's own words. I'll just say that the main topic in here is something that a lot of books try to tackle, but very few do right. Hoover's portrayal is brutal and compelling, and it's hard to look away. Her nuanced approach makes the whole thing ring true, and she brings a humanity to it that is both sobering and heartbreaking.

I read this book years ago when it first came out, and I remember thinking highly of it, though not much else. So when I read it again this time, I admit I was shaken by how hard it hit me. I think it's because I'm older now and have more experience with love and relationships, so I'm able to appreciate this story even more.

My suggestions if you're going to read this book: have a box of tissues ready and don't skip the author's note at the end. I sobbed my way to the finishing line, then read the author's note and sobbed some more. This is a riveting and worthwhile read, though at times difficult, and it showcases Colleen Hoover at her best, taking her contemporary new adult genre and elevating it to soaring heights.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Imagine if there had been an Apollo 18 mission. Hailed as the last of its kind, it would be fraught with peril and steeped in secrecy. Set during the Cold War era, three astronauts must make the journey for the good of country and science. But when things start to go wrong, who can they really trust a quarter million miles from home?

Yep, say no more! Just dangle Apollo anything in front of me and I'm instantly hooked. You guys know I'm a total space buff, so there's no way I can pass up this book. In fact, when I first heard about it, I almost fell out of my chair in excitement. So I got my bonbons ready and prepared to dig into what was sure to be a riveting ride.

And this has all the bones of a great thriller. The premise is fantastic, the setting atmospheric, and who doesn't love a deadly cat-and-mouse game playing out in space? Since this is fiction weaved into real history, I recognized a lot of the people and events of the space program, and it adds to the authenticity of the whole thing. It was also interesting to contemplate how the Cold War mentality of suspicion and secrecy would play out should the U.S. and Russia actually cross paths during the space race.

But for me, where this book fell short is its excessive technical details. I appreciate those details when it helps me understand the story or drives the plot along. But in this case, the technical information often seems to overwhelm the story. In particular, no piece of machinery we come across is too minor to be given a thorough overview, be it helicopter, fighter jet, submarine, and of course every component of the rocket and spacecraft. I mean, I just need to know enough to understand the story; I'm not actually using this as a manual to pilot an aircraft or to build one, you know?

When writing a story like this, I imagine there is a constant tug-of-war between including enough technical details as to be authentic, but not so much that it bogs down the narrative and the pacing. With Hadfield being an astronaut and having tons of technical knowledge, it's natural that he would focus on what he knows best. But for me, it just went a bit too much in that direction

Still, this was an interesting read and a solid first effort at fiction by Hadfield. There's enough potential here that I look forward to reading more from him. I just hope he takes mercy on regular folks like me next time and include a little less technical info dump.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

His eyes were doing the thing, the Gus thing . . . and it made my chest flutter almost painfully.

I don't get it. What am I missing here?

Beach Read originally caught my eye because its premise reminded me of Summer Villa, one of my favorite Hallmark movies. I know, I'm publicly admitting to being a sappy romantic at heart. And I'm proud of it. So why couldn't I get into this story at all?

For one, I didn't feel any chemistry between January and Gus. Nothing. Their interactions are so awkward and stilted, it was almost painful. They'll say mundane and platonic things to each other, and then sporadically, January will remind us that heat is filling her abdomen or pooling between her legs, and I'm like, Eh? I can't imagine how two people could possibly fall in love or lust while saying such bland things to each other.

This is the second book I've read by Emily Henry, and I've noticed that her female characters tend to be very twee and precious. They have extremely high expectations of what love is, need to be constantly reassured, and freak out at the smallest blip. At one point, January sees Gus's ex at a public event and she wants to scream and cry, before the woman has even said or done anything. And what's up with calling herself "dumb bunny"? Not to mention, she spends the entire time being upset with her dad over something that was none of her business. Suffice to say, it's all very exhausting.

As for Gus, we are told over and over that he has a crooked mouth and messy hair, wears rumpled and faded clothes, and has a sexy/evil look (what does that even mean?). Otherwise, his only characteristics are that he writes novels, and he adores January for no reasons that I could discern.

The writing style is fluffed out to the excess. There is so much mundane details about every event/non-event, from the multiple-page conversations on should they go or not go, to the logistical details (transportation/gift bringing/preferred topics of conversation) to the minutiae of everything that happens while at the event. And in between, every step of the way, it is interspersed with information on how January is feeling, how she thinks Gus must be feeling, and what this means for their relationship.

They are also constantly affirming what great people the other one is. Gus is dark and broken, but great! January is a fairy princess and a bright light, but great too! And they keep checking in to see if the other is happy. Like, are you happy? I am, are you happy? The conversations were so cheesy and trite, I was crying on the inside.

A good portion of this book is spent on the details of the stories they are each writing and their related research. One is a love story that takes place in a cult and the other is a love story that takes place... in a circus with clowns? I don't even know what I'm reading anymore.

Where is the flirty banter, the sexual tension, the obstacles to overcome? I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, or some interesting dialog, or some insight from this story. But nada. I'll be honest, this is one of the most boring books I've ever read.

My criteria for a romcom isn't that high. I want romance and comedy, but this book didn't satisfy either. I neither swooned nor laughed. I was mostly exhausted from boredom while waiting for this dull story to be over.

Readaroo Rating: 1 star

Wow, what a fascinating little book this turned out to be!

Sophia was made for him, her husband. He is perfect, her life is perfect, their house is perfect, everything is perfect. Or is it?

For a quick read, this sure kept me guessing at every turn. Just when I thought I'd picked up a clue and have slotted it into my mental picture, something happens that has me reconfiguring everything again. And this kept going until the very end. I was absolutely riveted.

From the moment this book showed up on the scenes, it's been generating so much buzz. It's not often a book has such polarizing reviews, with readers either enthusiastically loving it or passionately hating it. I knew I had to read it for myself to see where I landed.

If you're at all curious and you're in the mood for something unusual, I think this is worth a try. It's a short read (I got through it in less than 2 hours), and I guarantee you'll walk away with something you haven't seen before. Or have you?

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the advance copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Before I start, let me include a disclaimer. You should probably disregard my review here. I am like the only person I know who did not enjoy this, and the only plausible explanation I have is that somehow I read a different book altogether. So my thoughts are of the book I did read, which may or may not be the same one everyone else did.

Ok, back to the program. Amelia and Adam are going through a rough patch in their marriage, so they thought a trip to a secluded location would be just what they need to mend their relationship. But when they arrive at the derelict church where they'll be staying, it's not what they expect. Soon enough, things start to go wrong and of course, they have no way to leave.

Oooh sounds chilling, right? So I'm all ready for the twists, and I'm flipping the page, flipping the page, and then I reach the very end. I think my problem is that I've read a lot of domestic thrillers, and they all follow the exact same pattern, including most of the twists in this book. As for the one remaining twist that didn't follow that pattern, not only had I seen it done elsewhere before, but having read Alice Feeney's other books, she has a tendency to a certain style, and it led me to realize this was where it was going pretty early on. So no surprises for me, but that isn't necessarily a deal breaker.

A bigger issue is that a lot of the things in here don't add up or make sense. Like Adam's face blindness is used to explain his inability to recognize people at all, not just their faces, even though people with this condition can still recognize others based on their clothes, voice, mannerism, and context. It's called face blindness, not people blindness... yeesh! Also, tons of clues are dropped that add to the atmosphere, but are then either ignored as coincidences or in direct opposition to the explanations provided.

But probably my biggest problem (you're saying to yourself, there's more?) is the writing style. For some reason, it's stuffed full of fortune cookie wisdom, like so:

Promises lose their value when broken or chipped, like dusty, forgotten antiques. 

Secrets are only secrets for the people who don't know them yet. 

That's the problem with following in someone else's footsteps; if you leave a bigger mark than they did they tend to get upset. 

Sometimes the early bird eats too many worms and dies.

There are so many of these, like at least one per page, sometimes several in one paragraph. So just as I'm getting into the story, I'm yanked out again by ever more silly and superficial sayings. Why it is written this way, I'm honestly baffled.

Everyone else loved this book for its atmospheric setting, crazy twists, and fast pacing. But the book I read had no surprises, lots of things that didn't make sense, and odd one-sentence wisdoms dispensed like there's no tomorrow.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Phew! After the lackluster humdrum that was book 2, I'm so happy to report that Dunmore is back in top form with Portrait of a Scotsman.

Hattie Greenfield comes from old-money and has been coddled all her life. What she really wants is a white knight to woo her and sweep her off her feet. But when she's caught canoodling with self-made man Lucian Blackstone, she has no choice but to marry him to avoid scandal and ruin. But she's a pampered princess. Surely she can't be expected to love such a lowly plebeian, wealthy though he may be, can she?

If you detected a hint of sarcasm there, it was intentional. Hattie is such a spoiled brat, she almost spoiled the book for me. But before I move onto my rant, let's talk about the good stuff first.

The writing is sharp and riveting. Whatever malaise affected book 2, with its meandering pace and lack of sizzle, is all fixed here. The story is complex and interesting, filled with lots of historical details that lend so much authenticity to the whole thing. The witty banter and setting of Scotland only adds to the atmosphere. And the all important sexual tension that is crucial to a romance is present by the boatload. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.

If you're familiar with this series, you know it focuses a lot on suffrage and women's rights. In this book, I was heartened to see that it expanded to include workers' rights. The discussions in here about paying a living wage and making sure workers are safe in their jobs feel almost prescient to today, when we are having those exact same conversations about frontline and essential workers amid the pandemic.

Blackstone's character really struck a chord with me. Through hard work and ingenuity, he turned poverty and hopelessness into opportunity and wealth. His resilience is inspiring, especially in the face of so much tragedy. These types of characters, the ones who make something out of nothing, always appeal to me. On top of that, he's kind and considerate towards his wife, trying so hard to become the person she wants him to be. It's pretty rare for me in a romance to connect with the male lead more than the female one, but it definitely happened here.

My only issue with the book is Hattie. Apparently, privilege was alive and well in the 1880s. Through most of the book, she is so prissy and entitled, constantly sticking up her nose at her husband and lecturing him on right and wrong. She demands that he change to suit her, without trying to understand his side or meeting him halfway. And just when I thought she had matured and the story had reached its natural conclusion, there was one more issue with her that dragged out the story and jerked poor Blackstone around some more. And I didn't even understand what the problem was.

Thankfully, though I don't always succeed in separating my personal enjoyment of a story from my enjoyment of its characters, I was able to do it here. So even though I didn't love Hattie (she and I would not get along, that's for sure), I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. Dunmore puts so much research and depth into her historical romances that they feel authentic, and her focus on substantial issues makes her books timely and relevant, even for today.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

After loving the author's previous two books, one of which is an all-time favorite of mine, no one's more surprised than me that I didn't end up loving The Lincoln Highway.

Emmett has just been released from a juvenile detention facility after serving time for involuntary manslaughter. Now that his father has passed away and he no longer has family in town, he plans to pick up his little brother and drive along the Lincoln Highway to California so that they can start anew. But his carefully laid plans fall by the wayside when his friends show up and force him to embark on a different journey altogether.

I hate to say it, but this book confused me. I thought Emmett was our protagonist, and I was all ready to cheer him on as he did whatever he needed to do to start a new life, mainly by driving along the Lincoln Highway (hence the name of the book, right?). But this must be a case of mismatched expectations because Emmett wasn't the actual focus of this book and he didn't drive along that namesake road.

Emmett is but one character out of many in this book, and he shares equal limelight with them all. Each of these characters has their points of view and ample time in the book, filled with their corresponding backgrounds and narratives. But the issue is that the tales of these side characters are not vital to the story. You can just cut out their turns and still have essentially the same story overall. So to include them made the whole thing feel bloated and unfocused.

It doesn't help that a bunch of the side characters kept clowning around and getting up to shenanigans throughout the entire book. It almost feels like slapstick comedy, where outrageous things happen just for some laughs. This was especially odd because a lot of the notable events in here were people getting beat up or killed. But there was this incongruous, jokey tone permeating those scenes that didn't really go with whatever horrible event was happening.

That isn't to say this was all bad. I still enjoyed Towles's writing, even if I didn't really connect with the story. He always includes these little bits of wisdom coated in humor, and I gobbled up the Greek mythology references in here, as well as the trip down memory lane to FAO Schwarz. Clearly Towles was paying homage to 1950s Americana, and he does well from the parts I could pick up. But in the end, I just wasn't the right audience for this book, and I hope other readers trying this will have better luck than I did.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This was my Book of the Month pick for October. If you're curious about BOTM or want to find out how to get your first book for $5, click here.

Alessandra Torre, I applaud you ma'am for coming up with this crazy and twisty story.

The Bloody Heart Killer has taken six victims already. When his seventh victim escapes and points the finger at a local teacher as the serial killer, the police are satisfied. But Robert Kavin, the father of a deceased victim, doesn't believe it. So he asks Dr. Gwen Moore, a psychiatrist who specializes in treating killers, to step in and help. But the more she digs, the more questions she has. Because it seems everyone involved is hiding secrets. So what is the real truth?

What a compulsive read this turned out to be! At first, I was slightly confused by the book blurb. There seemed to be a lot of people and things going on, and I was worried it wouldn't grab me. But I didn't need to worry at all because I was hooked from the first page. And once I started, I couldn't put it down.

This is one of those stories that starts out with many threads, but they all slowly converge into a cohesive tale. I particularly enjoyed that this thriller is a little different from others I've read. The plot is unique and fresh, with interesting elements combining in ways I haven't seen before. And of course, the twists in the end felt surprising and thoroughly satisfying.

This is the second book I've read by Torre, and I've found both to be fun and unputdownable. At this point, there is no need to be coy anymore. I'm just going to go ahead and dump the rest of Torre's books onto my TBR stack posthaste.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

"Next time you're going to defy the gods, do it for a better reason."

Circe has always known that she does not belong. Though she is a goddess born to the almighty sun god Helios, she has never desired power nor indulged in vanity and cruelty the way her family does. They, in turn, have never ceased to remind her that she is the lesser daughter of greater sires. So when she displays an affinity for witchcraft and is exiled to a remote island, she jumps at the chance. Here finally is the opportunity to live life on her own terms.

Told in her trademark lyrical prose, Madeline Miller weaves a tale that is at once familiar and brand new. Circe has always been a minor goddess in Greek mythology, but in this book, she shines bright as the star of her own tale. It was fascinating to see so many familiar events—Scylla, Jason and Medea, and the infamous Odysseus—made fresh again through her eyes.

You would think a story like this might feel remote and otherworldly and be hard to relate to. After all, I'm not a goddess (well, only in my head). But what's amazing about this story is how utterly relatable it really is. Miller manages to portray Circe in sharp relief, and she is a compelling figure. Her search for purpose and belonging, her loneliness, her mistakes and sacrifices, and ultimately her redemption, all coalesce to drive home her humanity and fragility. It makes for a mesmerizing tale, one I could not look away from.

In comparison to The Song of Achilles, I found both to be wonderful in their own right. Which you will enjoy more will depend on personal preference. For me, The Song of Achilles has a better arc just based on source material, with the story relentlessly building up to the Trojan War. Circe does not have the luxury of a huge war at its end, so the story ebbs and flows depending on the current narrative. That isn't to knock Circe, but rather speaks to Miller's masterful skill that she was able to make this story just as riveting as its predecessor.

In just two books, Madeline Miller has become a favorite of mine. It must not be easy to take a classic that has been told again and again, and to infuse something thrilling and new into it. Yet she does just that, shaping these myths into tales appealing for the modern audience, while still retaining all of their old-world charms. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The first Chinese came in 1815. . . . Why doesn't this face register as American?

At its core, Interior Chinatown is a meditation on the Chinese American immigration and assimilation experience. It tackles this through a heavily metaphoric screenplay about a Generic Asian Man forever stuck in the background of a police procedural called "Black and White." He is not privileged like White, nor is he oppressed like Black. Yet he is relegated to the sidelines, never able to be the star of his own narrative.

I can see why this book received so much recognition. For such a quick read, it packs a punch. It's sharp, unusual, and compelling. To be honest, it left me a bit conflicted afterwards. On the one hand, it unearthed some feelings I generally try to keep buried, being a first-generation Chinese American immigrant myself. But on the other hand, it only just skimmed the surface of its potential.

One of the most interesting things about this book is its unique screenplay format. It took me a few pages to get used to, but once I did, I couldn't look away. Quite often, it's not clear if we're reading the perspective of the main character Willis Wu or the character that Wu is playing in the police drama. And I think that ambiguity is on purpose, since they are both characters limited by their circumstances.

Aside from the format, this book reads like a memoir to me, with the author putting a lot of himself into it. And as in all cases with memoirs, I want to respect the author's deeply personal experiences. However, his experiences don't always align with mine. And since mine are such a deeply ingrained part of me, it was hard for me at times to separate out my own personal feelings and approach this as a neutral party.

Because this subject is quite familiar to me, I was hoping for a deep dive. But while the book touches upon many topics—assimilation and the barriers against it, longing for a place to belong, the gulf between generations of immigrants, and the long term financial and emotional impact of discrimination and racism—it doesn't go far enough in any of them for me. But I believe most readers who don't have personal experience in this will find it insightful and eye-opening.

One thing this book solidly achieves is that it opens the door to a conversation about the Chinese American immigrant experience, something that had previously been lacking. I am always so heartened to see diverse voices and representation in literature. I hope this is just the beginning of Chinese American authors getting the space and recognition they need to share their stories.

Let me close up by offering a personal thought. For me, one of the most difficult things about immigrating to another country, especially one that does not share a similar language or culture, is that you end up losing bits and pieces of yourself in the process. When you think about it, a person's language and culture is intrinsic to the foundation of who they are. So in order to fully assimilate, you must renounce crucial parts of yourself and take on a new persona. It is an extremely difficult journey, but to do so and have your new country not accept you, that is heartbreaking indeed. Because then you are unmoored. You cannot go back to the person you were before, for that country and culture has left you behind. Nor can you go forward to your new country. You have become a citizen without a state, a person without a home. Your only recourse is to forge a new culture that is a bridge between the old and the new. But not many others can truly understand and share that with you, so you are forever trying to find that connection with the few who do. That is one of the defining characteristics of the immigrant experience for me.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The truth is, they're all so much better off now that their parents have been murdered.

The Mertons gather for Easter dinner, and it's a dreadful experience for almost everyone involved. The only one having fun is patriarch Fred Merton, who particularly enjoys bullying every member of his family, including his wife and his three grown children. So when Fred and his wife are gruesomely murdered later that night, no one is really surprised. Any of his children would gladly have done it, or was it someone else altogether who hates their father even more?

This story had me hooked from the very first page. I love Lapena's writing style here, which is sparse and to the point. It doesn't contain any unnecessary fluff or overwrought musings, so it jives well with the genre, enabling the action to take the front seat. Every page contains some crucial new development, so I always feel compelled to read just a few more pages.

The characters are unlikable but relatable. After all, who hasn't occasionally indulged in a bit of fantasy wishing an irksome relative would just go away. (No one? Oh, how awkward.) The contradiction between their complicated emotions—happiness that their father is out of their lives, shock that one of their siblings might be a murderer, and frightened of what the police would find out—creates this tension in the story that is both uncomfortable and entertaining.

The mystery proceeds like a whodunnit, with clues slowly uncovered and red herrings galore. If you've read mysteries before, the big reveal at the end probably won't shock you. For me, though, the highlight is all the little twists and turns leading up to it. They were so deliciously fun, and kept the pacing taut and brisk. Just when I think I've got it all figured out, a new surprise has me reconsidering everything.

I've read quite a few Shari Lapena books now, and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with them. I think I've finally figured out that I adore her mysteries (someone is killed and there are multiple suspects), while I don't like her domestic thrillers (husband or wife could be lying, so are they or aren't they). This mystery definitely goes onto my list of favorites from her.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

On the surface, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina should be everything I enjoy. So why couldn't I get into it, no matter how hard I tried? Honestly, I'm still puzzling that one out.

Orquídea Montoya knows she is dying, so she calls her descendants back home to bestow upon them their inheritance. But when the large family arrives, they are greeted by strange events. And when an unknown figure threatens the entire family, they must band together and venture into Orquídea's past to learn her secrets and protect their future.

Sounds promising, right? Well, maybe too much so. This is a really ambitious story, with a huge cast of characters. And I think herein lies the first issue. We are introduced to so many of Orquídea's family members, and each comes with their own accompanying background. We are inundated with information about each person, but it's only ever on the surface. So while my eyes glazed over from all these extraneous details, I still don't feel like I know the characters underneath.

The story is told via dual timeline, which always makes me wary that one will be less interesting than the other. Unfortunately, that happened here. We follow various members of Orquídea's family as they wander aimlessly, trying to figure out what happened to Orquídea. But because so much of that is irrelevant to the main story, it felt really slow and plodding. What's more interesting is Orquídea's narrative told through her own eyes, but that's just a chapter here and there.

But probably my biggest issue is that, after finishing the story, I'm still confused. There were so many ideas introduced throughout that were never adequately explained. A lot of the fantasy elements, while interesting, were handwaved through with vague or no explanations. And it doesn't help that the writing tends to border on flowery, especially during crucial moments. So instead of elucidating, it just added to the bewildering and chaotic feel of the whole thing.

I had such high hopes for this story going in. And while I enjoyed bits and pieces of it, it just never came together into a cohesive whole for me. I didn't end up making that all-important emotional connection with it, and instead come away feeling dazed and unsatisfied.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

I'm not sure what exactly I thought Dial A for Aunties was going to be. Perhaps a cozy mystery because there's a dead body? But no, it definitely wasn't that.

Instead, it's more like a mishmash of romance, social commentary about Asian culture, satire/comedy, soap opera, and thriller. If you're like "What?" after reading that, then that about sums up my feelings.

The story is crazy right out of the gate, and it just gets more so from there. Each scene, when taken individually, makes sense. But when you put them back-to-back, it doesn't gel into one cohesive story. One moment, Meddy is running around hiding a dead body, then her mom and aunts show up and act overbearing, then she's making out with her ex. And it just keeps going round and round. I seriously got whiplash from it all.

It doesn't help that the treatment of each idea in the book is over-the-top, so it's hard to take any of it seriously. The aunties are caricatures of Asian culture, but in their most exaggerated and grating forms. Even while hiding a dead body, all they care about is filial piety and respecting your elders. One even busts out in tai chi every time she's stressed, right in the middle of whatever scene.

And every character is nothing more than a one-dimensional stereotype taken to the extreme. Meddy is such a dutiful Asian child that she's a complete pushover. She can't even broach the subject of leaving home, even though she's twenty-six. And Nathan is your typical besotted ex-boyfriend, who still pines for Meddy and follows her around like a lovesick puppy everywhere. I tell you, no real person acts like this.

It's not that I didn't enjoy any of of this book. I did. There were a bunch scenes that made me smile or laugh. But if you think about it, they don't really make sense as a whole. At one point, Meddy even comments on how unrealistic everything is. I'm like, Girl, that's the first time you've made sense in this entire book!

If you're going to approach this story, the only way to do it successfully is to suspend all your disbeliefs. Whatever chaos is happening on the pages, you need to just nod and accept. People acting utterly nonsensical? Accept. Impossible/illegal stuff going down? Accept that too. Random lovey-dovey scenes thrown in? Yep, just let it all in. Acceptance is the word of the day while reading this book.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

I made a promise. . . . I said I would never do this again, never play the detective, never again lose myself.

Pip has sworn off solving mysteries for good. Now she's just following the trials from her one and only bout of sleuthing and updating her podcast with all the latest developments. But when a friend goes missing and the police refuses to do anything, Pip knows she'll have to step up again, even if it costs her everything.

Sometimes I read a book, and it so far exceeds my expectations that I wonder afterwards if maybe I'd hallucinated. That's how I felt about the first book in this series. It was young adult, yet it was so smart, sharp, gritty, and utterly unputdownable. Now that I've read book 2, I know it wasn't just a fluke because it yet again exceeded all my expectations.

I'm one of those people who grew up reading Nancy Drew (and The Hardy Boys, of course, but Nancy was my main jam). And so I'm always on the lookout, hoping some new, smart, spunky teen detective would pick up the mantle and delight me once again. And I've found exactly that in Pip.

One of my favorite things about this series is the way the investigation unfolds. Clues are collected and followed up, which then leads to the next set of steps and clues. It's all very logical. And the dossier format of interviews, articles, maps, notes, etc. is so masterfully done that it feels like I'm in the middle of a real investigation.

Just a word of warning: this isn't one of those mystery series you can read in any order you'd like. This book contains crucial information on the resolution of book 1, something I'm very thankful for because I have absolutely terrible book-memory. But it means you must read the books in order or risk being completely spoiled.

As I'm getting older, I've noticed that I'm slowly outgrowing YA, but this series still speaks to me. Its mysteries and the way they expose the darkness of human nature, but also its cleverness and resourcefulness through its teen detective, appeals to all ages. I cannot wait for book 3!

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

The Night She Disappeared starts off as a slow burn with a chilling atmosphere and multiple points of view, which soon all converge into a gripping and unputdownable story.

Young parents Tallulah and Zach are thrilled to have the chance to enjoy a rare night out on the town. But when the couple still hasn't returned by the next morning, Tallulah's mother Kim is rightfully worried. But with no clues, the cases goes cold, and a year goes by. When Sophie, a mystery writer, moves in nearby, and clues start to surface, it seems like Kim will finally get the answers she's been searching for.

This story starts slowly, partly because of the three points of view which take place across different timelines. I generally don't prefer more than two in one story, so it speaks to Jewell's ability as an author to keep me engaged. She keeps the chapters short and they always end on a tantalizing point, so I feel compelled to read just a little bit more.

One of the hallmarks of Lisa Jewell is her characters. They always seem solid and fully-fleshed out, which automatically makes the story feel more real. There's plenty of time taken to get to know and understand them. As a result, I end up caring for them and becoming emotionally invested in the story.

Then, once everything starts to come together and we get hit with twist after twist, I just can't look away. I read a lot of books in this genre, so it's pretty hard to surprise me. And the way the twists are laid out, you do see them coming from a few chapters before. But there was one twist in there that got me good, and it was a delightful surprise.

Reading Lisa Jewell always feels like a treat. She takes a fairly well-trodden genre and adds a depth of character and storytelling that takes it to another level. Throw in her fun twists and turns, and I'm riveted every time.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Seven Days in June takes a second chance love story and manages to capture within its pages an entire spectrum of Black spirit, joy, humor, and redemption.

Fifteen years ago in high school, Eva and Shane had a euphoric week together that left them forever changed. Since then, they've each gone on to become best-selling authors, working out their heartbreak through their respective novels. When a chance encounter gives them another seven days together, they know they must give this second chance their all to see where it could lead.

I've been really getting into romances lately with diverse representation, and this book is a perfect example of that. It doesn't shy away from the fact that both of its main characters are flawed individuals. Shane is a recovering addict who has spent time in jail, but he's clean now and is mentoring underprivileged kids. Eva is a single mother to a precocious daughter, but she suffers from debilitating migraines and her pain affects every part of her life.

There's the all-important sizzle whenever these two share a page, and it makes for a riveting read. To see these two souls finally come together and experience love and acceptance, something they both desperately crave but had in short supply all their lives, feels poignant and heartwarming.

The cast of supporting Black characters adds so much spark and levity to the whole thing. One part of the book that felt particularly prescient is when a panel of authors are discussing how Black literature is often relegated to only talking about suffering and trauma, and denied the whole range of everyday human experiences that white literature is afforded. It feels like Tia Williams is making commentary on her own book, and I think she succeeds admirably in bring out the entire range of experiences for her Black characters.

This was a thoroughly compelling modern-day romance. Its message that everyone deserves redemption and love, even those with flaws and baggage, is a worthy one. And the author's homage to Black lives lived to their fullest is beautiful to witness.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Let me start by first apologizing to everyone who loves this classic. I don't doubt Dune was something special when it first came out in the 1960s. But reading it for the first time today, it feels horribly outdated to me and at times almost incomprehensible.

I was warned going into this story that the beginning is extremely hard to understand, but that is an understatement. I could barely follow its scene after scene of dialogue referencing people and places and events, all with no explanation or context. It literally feels like I was just dropped into the middle of a book, and everything had already been explained elsewhere.

But it gets better, right? Well, only somewhat. A narrative does take shape, but the writing style remains confusing and obscure. It manages to be both long-winded and not clear enough, if you can believe that. Certain obvious points are harped on again and again, but other crucial ones are merely glossed over. Then, when you inevitably miss those important points, they create this cascading effect that keeps you mired in confusion.

The writing is also pretentious, with regular or nonsensical things consistently being presented in a profound way. There are plenty of extraneous paragraphs that sound good until you try to discern their meaning, at which point you'd be stumped. This sort of writing really confused me because I couldn't figure out which paragraphs mattered and needed to be dissected carefully to suss out their hidden meaning, and which ones are just adornment.

As for the story itself, it was a complete mismatch with my interests. I like science fiction with lots of real science. Instead, this is a space opera (a.k.a. a soap opera that takes place in space) with no actual science. It's all political intrigue, melodrama, doublespeak, and who has power over who, which I have zero interest in. I also couldn't care less about how fawningly amazing Paul is and how he is destined to be the chosen one.

This was such a frustrating reading experience because it could've been an amazing story. And there were moments in the beginning when I thought it was going in those creative directions. I was riveted during that infamous test in the first scene, only to realize that it was completely irrelevant to the rest of the story. Or to see where the book could take the scientific aspects of a desert planet and a population with so little water, which it didn't other than a bit of lip service.

But the book stubbornly chose to disregard these more interesting avenues, and instead took the most straightforward, boring route of making this into a story about power struggle. Well, we could've saved ourselves the bother and just stayed on Earth for that.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars

Good news, everyone! It turns out I'm not broken and can indeed still enjoy domestic thrillers. I was just waiting for an actually decent one to cross my path, and one finally did, thank goodness!

Cat has what every woman in town wants: money, beauty, and social standing. She also has a successful and handsome husband who is devoted to her. Or at least that's what she thought, until a new neighbor moves in next door and starts working for William. Neena wants everything Cat has, and she'll do whatever it takes to get it all.

Talk about riveting! It took me all of ten pages before I was completely hooked. I couldn't put this book down. There was something so compelling about the story here, with these two women pretending to be friendly while scheming and backstabbing to get William's attention. You know what they say: keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

The level of insanity in here built up slowly, ratcheting up until I was good and ensnared in its fun. While what the two women did was rather wack, the reason this story worked for me is that the emotions behind their actions rang true. Torre deftly captures all the nuanced aspects of infidelity and temptation in a relationship, including the urge to stray for the person doing the cheating as well as the feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness for the spouse left in the wake of the destruction.

I did have one small quibble. The epilogue came across as a little odd to me. After everything was wrapped up and I thought the story had ended, it then continued some more. But the version of the people we got in the epilogue didn't really match emotionally with the people we'd come to know throughout the entire rest of the book. So that threw me off a bit. But I'm willing to overlook it for what was otherwise a thoroughly entertaining book.

This is everything I was hoping for when I cracked open the pages: a riotously good time with nasty characters doing questionable things, yet I was still sympathetic to them and happily cheered them on. After such a rare win for me with a domestic thriller, now I'm all excited to read more of the genre... or maybe not.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

You know that feeling, when you've become fully immersed in a story and you no longer realize you're just reading words on a page? Well, that feeling never came for me in Velvet Was the Night.

Maite is a self-centered girl, working as a secretary while waiting for a wealthy, attractive man to sweep her off her feet. El Elvis is a thug in the Hawks, whose sole purpose is to undermine activist students using whatever means necessary. When Maite's neighbor goes missing, their individual steps to find her slowly take them on an intersecting path toward each other and danger.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the other two books I'd read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and the writing in this one is as sharp as ever, somehow the story itself fell flat to me. I didn't connect with it at all. And I've been trying to figure out what happened ever since.

I think one issue is that I didn't really like the characters. Maite is off-putting to the extreme. She's the most awful combination of vain and vapid. She's extremely judgey of everyone on a superficial level while having nothing to offer, not even kindness. Meanwhile, Elvis seems only to care about rock and roll music in between beating up students for a paycheck. I just couldn't find even a sliver of connection to these two.

The other big issue is the book covers topics I'm fairly ambivalent about. I don't really enjoy reading about mobsters being cool or beating each other up. Nor do I enjoy reading about self-indulgent people preening and pitying themselves for their lack wealthy and good-looking boyfriends. Nor did I understand any of the references to Mexican government dysfunction during the 1970s. And with its numerous musical references, I didn't know one single song that was mentioned.

Without emotionally connecting with the story, this felt like a slog that wouldn't end. I don't want to dissuade anyone from reading this because I can imagine it being enjoyable for the right audience, but unfortunately, it wasn't me. I remain a fan of the author, but I'll avoid any more of her noir pulp fiction.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

This was an add-on for my Book of the Month box. If you're curious about BOTM or want to find out how to get your first book for $5, click here.

Ah, scientists in love! Be still, my heart!

Olive is a third year Ph.D. candidate, filling her pipettes and titrating like a boss, when she somehow manages to land herself in a fake relationship with the ever glowering Dr. Adam Carlsen. She really can't believe her bad luck. Unfortunately, she has spun her lies, so she has no choice but to see them through. But the more time they spend together, the more Olive starts to realize he might just be the one she's been looking for all along.

This was just a hoot and a half! A lot of romcoms manage to get the romantic part exactly right, but The Love Hypothesis hits the comedy bit out of the park too. Olive's dialogues are witty and snarky, and she pretty much cracked me up from beginning to end. I couldn't stop giggling and snorting, even while reading in public, which definitely got me some weird looks from strangers.

I absolutely loved that Ali Hazelwood chose a woman in STEM as her main character and highlighted the difficulties they encounter as part of this story. As a woman in STEM myself, it warms my heart to see someone like me take center stage in a romance. A lot of what Olive went through, including how intimidating it is to be in a field surrounded by men and how unsure she is of her worth and her ability, I understand intimately.

The romance between Olive and Adam developed slowly, with plenty of tension and sizzle. The premise to set up the trope of fake dating was a little silly, but once you get past that, the rest is nothing short of sweet and satisfying. Adam is reticent in the beginning, but he soon thaws and warms up to Olive's relentless cheer and good-natured teasing. His support of her in their shared field is particularly touching and it made me root even harder for this couple.

With romances, there's always the question of whether it contains explicit, open-door scenes. And whichever way the book chooses to go, it inevitably alienates half of the readership who wants it the other way. That's why I was particularly fond of the way it was handled in this book. All those scenes are in one contiguous chunk (spread across two chapters), so it's easy to skip if that's not your thing and you can still enjoy the rest of the story without having to worry about missing anything crucial.

This story totally checks all the boxes for me. It's sweet, smart, and uproariously funny, and it touched my heart and my mind. No doubt about it, anything Ali Hazelwood writes from now on will be devoured by me posthaste.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.